A Lovely New Year's Eve at Hogwarts
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Harry is ill but doesn't want to admit it because he intends to watch the Weasley twins' firework display on the grounds. Maybe Hermione has a better idea. Set on New Year's Eve in Harry's seventh year. Completely AU, sick!Harry; just a fluffy drabble.


**A Lovely ****New Year's Eve at Hogwarts**

**~ by Healer Pomfrey ~**

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_I'm not a native speaker of English; all recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._

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Harry groaned inwardly as he tried to concentrate on his extracurricular Transfiguration assignment, while Hermione and Ron were once again fighting about absolutely irrelevant matters. At the beginning of the winter holidays, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had given Hermione and Harry extra homework in order to prepare them for their positions as Transfiguration and Charms teachers from the next school year onwards.

"Anyway, why do you have to study on New Year's Eve?" Ron asked in annoyance, glaring at his two friends.

"Because we need to finish this," Hermione replied firmly. "We have to take our NEWTs in the summer, and Harry and I are going to become teachers afterwards, in case you forgot." She gave an angry look back, before she turned to Harry, who let out a few harsh coughs, gripping his chest in pain. "Harry, are you feeling all right? Your cough sounds horrible, and you look even worse than yesterday."

"I'm fine," Harry sighed. In fact, he had been feeling under the weather since their snowball fight on Christmas Day, and the cold or whatever he had caught at that time, seemed to be worsening by the day.

"I don't think so," Hermione said in concern, and before Harry knew what was happening, a slim, cold hand found its way to his forehead, where it lingered for an instant. "You're burning up, Harry. Let me take you to Madam Pomfrey."

"No," Harry replied softly. "It's just a cold, and I don't want to miss the fireworks tonight."

Hermione groaned in annoyance. "You're going to miss much more than the fireworks if you neglect this cold even longer. Maybe she'll let you go after giving you a Pepperup potion."

Harry quickly bit his lips to prevent himself from letting out a snort of disbelief. '_Hermione, you know as well as I do that this is more than a cold by now and that she won't let me go_,' he thought, sighing. "I'll go and see her if it's not better tomorrow," he promised warily. "I really want to see the twins' firework display."

"He is right, Mione," Ron threw in. "Remember, the twins are only doing this for Harry to celebrate his victory over You-Know-Who. He can't miss the fireworks."

Harry groaned in annoyance. Headmistress McGonagall had agreed to the twins' suggestion to have a party to once again celebrate Harry's victory over Voldemort. '_As if we didn't already have enough celebrations_,' he thought in exasperation. '_I'm glad that I won. That's enough_.'

"I don't care," Hermione replied icily. "His health is more important than anything else, and I'm sure that the twins will understand. Fred and George are not that stupid or egoistic. Now Harry, come with me to your dormitory and let me check on you. Maybe you'll feel better after taking a nap."

Raising an eyebrow at his friend in disbelief but feeling too miserable to protest, Harry followed the girl into his dormitory, letting out a relieved sigh as he rested his achy head on the pillow.

"I'll be back in a minute," Hermione said and hurriedly left the room only to return shortly later with an old Muggle thermometer and a small towel. She sat on the bed behind Harry and gently pulled his head onto her lap, before she coaxed the glassy device into his mouth and adjusted the wet towel to his forehead.

'_It feels good to be in her arms. I wished that she was my girlfriend. Ron really doesn't deserve her_,' Harry mused, shivering at the cold touch.

"Thirty-nine point five," Hermione read from the display. "Harry, I'm going to fetch Professor McGonagall."

"No, please don't," Harry whispered pleadingly, reaching for her arm when she slowly released him from her embrace and gently tucked him in. "Let me take a nap. Maybe I'll feel better afterwards."

Sighing in exasperation, Hermione nodded. "All right. I'm going to wake you up before dinner. If your fever doesn't come down by then, I'm going to take you to the hospital wing." With that the girl left the dormitory.

Harry turned to the side and closed his eyes; however, sleep didn't come easily. Every now and then he had to search for a cool spot on his pillow to rest his head, and he realised that it became even more difficult to breathe in a lying position. He let his eyes wander around the room, slowly following the pattern of small griffins on the wall next to his bed. However, the griffins suddenly changed their forms, and Harry recognised Hermione. '_Why do we have Hermione's picture on the wall?_' he wondered as he slowly drifted off to fevered dreams.

He was just walking around the lake, arm in arm with Hermione, waiting for the students to arrive with the Hogwarts Express, when he woke up to hushed voices.

"Mione, let him sleep," Ron said, sounding very annoyed.

"No Ronald. He is ill and I will look after him," Hermione replied firmly. "Why don't you go back to the common room and study for once?"

"Study, study, study," Ron suddenly shouted. "That's all that you and Harry can think about. It's New Year's Eve. Now let's have some fun."

"Please don't shout," Harry groaned, jerking fully awake when he felt Hermione's cold hand on his forehead.

"Wait for us in the common room," Hermione said quietly and sat on the edge of Harry's bed to once more take his temperature. "Harry, it's not better at all. Do you think you can walk to the hospital wing, or do you want me to fetch Madam Pomfrey?"

"I can walk," Harry replied and scrambled out of his bed, throwing the girl a grateful look when she gently steadied him on their way down to the common room, apparently noticing that he was very dizzy.

"No Ronald, we won't attend dinner in the Great Hall right now," she said firmly, before Ron could even open his mouth. "Go ahead, and maybe I'll join you in a few minutes." With that she carefully led Harry through the portrait hole and the empty halls. She gently helped Harry into the bed next to Pomfrey's office and exchanged a few quiet words with the Healer, who had already heard them enter the room and came out of her office to see what was wrong.

Pomfrey waved her wand over Harry, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter. You earned yourself a few days here in our nice hospital wing. If you hadn't completely ignored and neglected your cold, you wouldn't be here with lung infection now. Oh, lucky me; I look forward to having another colleague, who is as bad as Professor Snape when it comes to taking care of his own health."

"I'm sorry, Madame. Please, may I go and watch the fireworks tonight?" Harry asked pleadingly. "I must…"

"You must stay here and rest. You can see the lake through that window over there, and you'll well be able to watch the firework display from your bed," the Healer replied firmly and made Harry drink two potions. "Ms. Granger, you may stay with him if you want."

"I'll wake you up in time for the fireworks," Hermione said soothingly as he succumbed to the potions and slowly drifted off to sleep.

A few hours and his next dose of potions later, Harry felt much better as he sat on his bed, resting his head against Hermione' shoulder, and watched the twins' extraordinary display of fireworks. '_The twins are absolutely amazing_,' he thought, hesitantly leaning into the embrace when Hermione gently laid her arm around his back.

"You were right as usual, Mione," he whispered. "This was a good idea. I feel much better now, and it's warmer and much more comfortable here than out on the grounds in the snow."

"And we have some quiet time here just for ourselves," Hermione replied, smiling. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too, Mione, but what about Ron?" Harry whispered, unconsciously nestling deeper into her embrace.

"He is our best friend," the girl replied, chuckling. "Happy New Year, Harry."

'_I think I won another fight this year_,' Harry thought happily when Hermione leaned over and pulled him into a soft kiss.

**The End**

_I wish you a happy New Year - and thank you very much for your kind coments and reviews throughout the last year!_

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_A.N. To my readers of "Lord of the Wind": I'm sorry, but I'm not able to update today (due to being sick together with a sick child). Maybe later during the night or tomorrow morning. Sorry!  
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